On Wednesday, Oct. 19, The Island Trees High School Marching Band and Kickline, under the direction of band director Greg Warnokowski, percussion advisor Jerry Nobile, and kickline advisor Melissa DiMarco, performed at the Newsday Marching Band Festival held at Mitchel Field Athletic Complex in Uniondale. This year’s marching band show was entitled “Get the Funk Out”, and featured the songs, “Brick House”, “Play That Funky Music” and “Uptown Funk”, and this was the first Newsday performance dressed in their brand new marching band uniforms.
Leading the band were Drum Majors, Rachel Caffrey, Lindsay Maleska, Linck Rossano, and Quinneth Rutigliano, Band Captains, Thomas Cox, Shari Freeda, Drumline Captain John Rottkamp, and Kickline Captains Julia Andor, Jackie Kennedy, and Audrey McDonald. Newsday is an event where marching bands from all Nassau and Suffolk County school districts perform in an exciting evening of musical and visual display. At the end of the evening, all bands come together to receive an award and to play “America the Beautiful”. The purpose of this festival according to Newsday is to “inspire and pave the way for a life in music.”
Congratulations to all the outstanding student musicians and kickliners who performed in this amazing event, and to all of their teachers and advisors for their excellent preparation of these students. We also congratulate the students for their recent performances at the Homecoming Parade, and their half time shows at all home football games. To see videos and photos from the Newsday Marching Band Festival, go to: newsday.com/marchingband and News12Varsity.com.
-Susan Oliveto, Island Trees Music Department Chairperson 
